Alexander Calder Was One Of The Most Innovative And Original American Artists Of The Twentieth Century GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

Alexander Calder was one of the most innovative and original American artists of the twentieth century. Calder arrived in Paris in 1926 and devoted himself to a innovative project comprised of animals made out of wire, scraps of cloth, wood, cork, labels, bits of scrap metal and pieces of rubber that he called the Circus. During his performances, Calder invented ways to simulate the flight of birds: “These are little bits of white paper, with a hole and slight weight on each one, which flutter down several variously coiled thin steel wires which I jiggle so that they flutter down like doves.” The Circus was the laboratory of Calder’s work; in it he experimented with new formulas and techniques. By 1930, Calder's Circus had developed into one of the real successes of the Montparnasse art world attracting the attention of such renowned artists as Fernand Leger and Joan Miro. Encouragement from the upper echelons of the Parisian art scene undoubtedly led him to try more serious experiments in wire sculptures.

Calder eventually becoming interested in the movement of objects, some of which he motorized. In 1933, Calder completed Object with Red Discs, a sculpture he described as a two-meter rod with a heavy sphere, suspended from the apex of a wire, giving it a cantilever effect. It had five thin aluminum discs projected at right angels from five wires, held in position by a spherical counterweight. With this new creation, the idea of the mobile was born. In creating a work named Constellations in 1943, Calder explored the plastic possibilities of mobiles; he used small pieces of wood, which he shaped and sometimes painted. From this point on, Calder’s ambition changed focus. He sought more challenging designs. One of Calder’s objectives was to display objects in the air, giving the viewer the experience of finding new skies filled with moving and colored constellations. Calder accomplished this in Acoustic Ceiling (1954). Calder’s humor was evident in such works as Le Bougnat (1959) and The Pagoda (1963). Later, Calder cut fantastic animals from sheet metal, creating La Vache and Elephant (both 1970) and a mobile entitled Nervous Wreck (1976), which represents the red skeleton of a fish.

Calder defined volume without mass and incorporated movement and time in art. His inventions, which redefined certain basic principles of sculpture, have established him as the most innovative sculptor of the twentieth century.

“Alexander Calder was one of the most innovative and original American artists of the twentieth century.”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

Question 1
According to the passage, which of the following is an accurate statement about Object with Red Discs?

1. It was the first mobile created by Calder.
2. It was one of the many mobiles without motors created by Calder.
3. It was one of the many motorized mobiles created by Calder.
4. It was the first motorized mobile created by Calder.
5. It was the first of the many mobiles without motors created by Calder.

Question 2
According to the passage, all of the following are characteristic of Calder’s work EXCEPT

1. Calder was known to infuse humor into some of his creation
2. Calder suspended objects from each other
3. Calder motorized some of his creations
4. Calder used materials such as metal, cloth, wood, rubber, cork
5. Calder suspended glass from thin metal wires to create a cantilever effect

Question 3
The author’s attitude toward the mobiles of Alexander Calder is best described as

1. Hesitance
2. Detachment
3. Amusement
4. Admiration
5. Indifference

Question 4
It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following statement was true of the Parisian art scene?

1. The work of Fernand Leger and Joan Miro was influenced by that of Alexander Calder.
2. The work of Alexander Calder was influenced by that of Fernand Leger and Joan Miro.
3. Fernand Leger and Joan Miro had earned success in the art world before Alexander Calder.
4. Alexander Calder had earned success in the art world before Fernand Leger and Joan Miro.
5. Calder’s Circus earned more accolades from the upper echelons of the Parisian art scene than any other work in its time.

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